What is the punishment for solicitation compared to the completed crime?

The punishment for solicitation, which is the act of encouraging or inciting someone to commit a crime, is generally treated differently from the punishment for the completed crime itself. In many jurisdictions, including those that adhere to similar legal principles found in Idaho law, solicitation is often categorized alongside attempts to commit a crime.

When someone is charged with solicitation, the legal system tends to impose a penalty that reflects the seriousness of the intended crime but recognizes that the crime has not been completed. As a result, the sentence for solicitation is typically about half of what the sentence would be for the completed offense. This approach acknowledges the potential danger and moral culpability involved in attempting to induce someone else to commit a crime, while also considering that the actual harm has not yet occurred.

This rationale provides consistency in how the legal system treats various stages of criminal involvement, balancing deterrence and punishment with the recognition of differing degrees of culpability based on whether a crime has been completed.